Changes
by SoMuchLoveInALovelessWorld
Summary: Sheldon leaves Pasadena for a lot of reasons. Here is one of them. Shenny.


**Author's note: This is an AU version of the season 7 finale. So, there are spoilers and some dialogue from "The Status Quo Combustion". Thanks for reading!**

_Disclaimer: I do not own The Big Bang Theory or any character associated with it, no copyright infringement is intended._

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_"__Time may change me, but I can't trace time." David Bowie, Changes_

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"Where is he?" she asks with her hands on her hips.

Leonard sighs, rubbing his forehead, "He is in his room… I told him about the possibility of him moving out and he snapped…" he sits on the couch, drinking a cup of green tea, "He put his pajamas and closed the door, Penny… He didn't have dinner yet…"

She huffs, pacing the living room with angry steps, "He is such a baby!"

"Yes, but you know he doesn't like changes…"

"Leonard, at some point, things have to change!" she exclaims, "That's it, I'm going in there!"

"Penny… wait…" her fiancé tries to stop her, but she's already knocking on his door.

_(Sheldon! Sheldon! Sheldon!)_

"I want to be alone. Please, leave." His vulnerable voice makes her heart shrink a little, but she is a woman on a mission and opens his door anyway. It is dark inside, just a small lamp beside the bed lighting the room and she sees him lying on the sheets in a fetal position, his head on his pillow, eyes closed.

"You're not allowed in my room," he raises his head, looking at her with an unexpected furious stare, "Get out."

She is surprised with his anger, but sits beside him, trying to comprehend his reaction to her presence. "I know you're upset, Sweetie, but-"

"Don't call me that!" he spats, lying on his back, rubbing his forehead, "Just go away."

What the hell? She doesn't want to start an argument, but he is asking for it. Taking a deep breath, she touches his arm and asks with the calmest voice she can muster, "This about my engagement with Leonard, right?"

He sighs, closes her eyes for a moment and then looks at her without the anger from before, but with a sadness she had never seen before. "Everything is changing Penny… Even me…"

With tentative strokes, she caresses his forearm, attempting to soothe him, "What do you mean?"

"I've wasted my life on a theory that can never be proven. The comic book store just got burned down. I'll probably have to find another place to live. And… nevermind."

"Sheldon, you're a genius, I'm sure you'll find another job…" He sits against the headboard, eyeing her with frustration. "And you don't have to move out. Leonard and I are still discussing our future; he can move in with me or we can find another place…"

"And I'll be living alone?" he throws his arms in the air and she notices at this moment he's wearing only a white t-shirt. Weird.

"Amy can live with you…" she suggests, already knowing his opinion.

"Really, Penny? That is your idea? You know Amy moving in marks a level of intimacy our relationship isn't ready for."

She does know. "I'm sorry…" she whispers. They stay silent for minutes, and she remembers the day she was in this same room, comforting him about the Arctic trip. So much have changed since then. They're older now, somehow bitter, skeptical. Life has crushed some of her dreams, their dreams. She expected to become a famous actress, to be rich, to find a man she would be crazy about… Oh, don't go there, Penny.

"Are you concerned about something?" he questions her, stretching his legs, "You're not a usually quiet type of person."

They smile at each other, and she is relieved she can see his customary lopsided grin, "I'm fine… I was thinking about that day… When you guys came back from the North Pole… I sat here while you were complaining about the Star Wars movie…"

"Star Trek…" he corrects her.

"Whatever… What I'm trying to say is it might take a while, but you'll get used to this… You'll have to adapt to survive." He makes a stunned face. "See? Sometimes I pay attention to your jibber-jabber…"

He chuckles, momentarily forgetting his worries and puts his hand on top of hers. She almost gasps at the sensation of his warm fingers on her skin as he says, "Thank you, Penny."

"You're welcome, Swe… Can I call you 'Sweetie' now?"

He snorts, "Yes, Penny."

"So… Do you want to have dinner? Your food is getting cold."

"I'm not hungry."

"But you have to eat, Sheldon… Let's go to the living room? I bought an apple pie for dessert."

He squeezes her hand, "May I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why did you say yes?"

Her cheeks redden and for a moment she doesn't know what to say. "B-because… I love him."

"I know you do, but why did you accept his proposal considering your previous relationship experience? You two propose all the time. What made you say yes this time?"

Fear. Insecurity. Convenience. These words run through her head, but she replies, "I think it was time."

They both know that's not the real reason and she stands up, running her fingers through her hair, like she always does when she's lying. They both know this too. Suddenly, his voice is sour again, with a hint of irony, "You two are going to be very happy in here."

She turns to him and sighs loudly - he has finally mastered the use of sarcasm; his words hit her more than she expected. "Yes, we will," she says defiantly and blurts out, "Especially with you not around." She immediately regrets it because of the look that comes over his face – the one that shows she crossed the line.

He gets out of the bed and steps closer to her, their bodies almost touching, "I'm not surprised, Penelope… I am well aware that you consider me a weirdo, condescending robot, a thorn in your side…" his minty breath hovers over her face, "I just don't understand why you came in here acting as my friend, if you dislike me so much…" She opens her mouth to apologize, but he continues, "Now, leave."

Tears start to poll in her eyes as she tries to find the best way to erase her harsh words, "I didn't mean that, Sheldon…" she puts her hands on her face, "I'm your friend and you're like a brother to me…"

"A brother?" he scolds, taking a step towards her and backing her against the door, "You make fun of me all the time, you call me crazy, you barely can stand my presence…" he places his hand beside her head with a loud thump, "I'm not your brother. I'm just the obnoxious neighbor you have to put up with."

She gulps, but retorts, "You started this! Who are you to critique my relationship with Leonard? You know nothing about us! Just because you have a girlfriend now, it doesn't mean you can judge me, Mr. Know-It- All!"

"Amy has nothing to do with this!" he shouts and now their bodies are really touching, his leg between hers, an unexpected shudder travelling up her spine, "You're one of the reasons of my current dilemma. If Leonard hadn't invited you for lunch six years ago, everything would be still the same!"

She doesn't know why, but her hand slowly locks the door behind her. Who is she kidding, she _knows_ why. Sheldon hears the click and stares down at her, his pupils huge and dark. "And would you like that?" she murmurs, the reason spilling out of her mind as she leans in and almost touches his lips with hers, "Things change, Sheldon. And we just have to handle it." What happens next is something she has always been curious about. He presses his mouth to hers; his lips soft, so soft, she lets out an unconscious moan and loops her arms around his neck as he grabs her waist, pressing her even further against the door. When her tongue flicks across his bottom lip, he releases her, panting lightly, his face startled and pink.

"What have I done?" he murmurs faintly, but stays in front of her, his hips still touching, "This is madness!"

Without a word, she kisses him again, harder, and his mouth opens slightly so she can slip her tongue past his lips, tasting him and he sighs in approval. It doesn't matter if she is engaged to his roommate, if he's dating her "bestie", if she's doing this to prove him he is one of her favorite people in the world. Right now, she wants to make him feel better, loved. And above it all, she wants him, _all_ of him. His hands caress her jeans-covered thighs, traveling up and down until he reaches her ass and gives it a small slap. She groans in response and bites his neck, his hips thrusting forward and she feels him, really feels him, hard and pulsing against the fabric of her pants. That's real and there is no way she can't stop this chaos, her lustful thoughts scream at her. He pauses for a moment, catching his breath, and gives her a look she knows too well.

"P-Penny…" he pants with eyes locked on hers. She expects he will ask her to stop, to get out of his bedroom and leave him alone. Instead, he lifts her up in his arms and carries her to the bed, where she lies on top of him, biting his earlobe as her hips grind against his. They have to be quiet; Leonard is only a few feet away, but when his fingers pinch her nipple through her shirt, she moans loudly and Sheldon kisses her to muffle the sound. He flips her over onto her back, pinning her to the bed, lifts her shirt and gasps at the sight of her bare breasts; his hands wasting no time in knead the soft flash, gently massaging her and she squeaks, pushing his head closer, his mouth now sucking the pink nipples into his hot mouth. She takes of her shirt and does the same with his, throwing the clothes on the floor, earning a disapproving glare from him, which is soon forgotten when she rubs his dick through his pajamas bottoms. "Oh! Oh… Penny…" he groans breathlessly and pushes his pants down his hips, freeing his cock. She shameless stares at it, licking her lips, shocked with his size and girth. He frowns, looking at his penis and back at her and asks with a small voice, "What's wrong?" She raises up and helps him to remove his last article of clothing, both kneeling in front of each other when she grabs his dick and whispers in his ear, "You're perfect…" she slowly strokes him, expertly twisting her hand around his length, making him buck into her fist, "So big and hard… Like I've always imagined…" Her words ignite something primal in his blue eyes and he all but shoves her on the sheets, opening the buttons of her jeans in a hurry, dragging it down along with her panties.

That is it – this is the moment where everything will change between them. He positions himself on top of her, covering her body with his, just lying there motionless. They need an instant to absorb what is about to happen. She holds him close, enjoying his warmth, running her hands along his back, kissing the freckles on his neck. When he lifts his head to look at her, his eyes are teary and so are hers. This is wrong, immoral, dishonest and will bring terrible consequences to their lives, but at the same time, they know it was inevitable; they know it since the day she called him "a beautiful mind genius".

He presses his forehead against hers and slowly enters her body. She whimpers as he fills her inch by inch, his length stretching her soft folds and she wraps her legs around his hips, driving him deep into her, making him gasp with pleasure. He thrusts into her steadily, gaining speed as her moans increase in volume and intensity. "Shhh…" he mumbles into her mouth, a failed attempt to lower her screams. Her head lolls to the side, her eyes closing as memories flash in her mind: _Penny Blossoms, a whiteboard, the checking engine light, his black suit_… It all makes sense now. "Open your eyes…" he orders, bringing her back to the present, plunging harder, groping her breasts, "Look at me." She obeys, putting her hands on each side of his face, trying to memorize his passionate expression, "Fuck me… Fuck me… Don't stop… Please…" she begs, biting her bottom lip. He grabs one of her legs, kisses the back of her knee and places it on his shoulder, deepening his penetration. It's too much, too good and she circles her clit in time with his thrusts as he observers her fingers, gripping her waist tightly. "Penny… Penny… Penn-" he growls and she feels him come inside her as her own climax overtakes her at the same time, her body tensing before going limp. A simultaneous orgasm. With Sheldon Cooper. This must be one of the alternate universes he always talks about.

Their harsh breaths are the only sounds in the room while she nuzzles her nose into his neck. He turns his head slightly and she caresses his cheek, his lips and he opens his mouth to suck the fingers she'd been touching herself with. She shudders and stares at him with wild eyes as he licks her fingers clean with a smile. Suddenly, they hear a knock and the spell is broken.

"Penny? Sheldon? Are you okay?" Leonard asks and they watch with horror as he tries to turn the doorknob.

He rolls away from her, picking up his clothes on the floor as she dresses up quickly, combing her fingers through her hair, the reality falling over them immediately. Leonard can't see her like this; he'll notice her disheveled state, the smell of Sheldon on her. She touches his shoulder and he looks at her with scared eyes. "We can't get out of this room now…" she whispers, "And Leonard can't get in."

"Why?"

She huffs, "Look at us, Sheldon! We're all sticky and sweaty! "

"I don't follow."

"We reek of sex, this room reeks of sex!"

"Oh…" he seems to comprehend her and sits on the bed, his face even more nervous than before. "What should we do?"

A headache starts to throb inside her brain. Leonard calls out again, "Guys, what's wrong? Why the door is locked?"

"Nothing is wrong, Leonard," she replies with a calm voice, "We're just talking."

Leonard goes silent for a moment and then informs, "Okay. I'm going to the drugstore to refill a prescription, do you need something?"

"No. See you later. Bye"

She rests her head against the door, sighing with relief. They're safe, at least for now. When she turns to Sheldon, he has his head between his hands, his elbows rest on his knees. She moves towards him with hesitation and sits beside him. "Now what?" she murmurs.

Without looking at her, his answer is quick, "I have to take a shower and change the sheets. You should go to your place and do the same."

For the second time in the evening, he shoots her straight in the heart. She touches his leg, but he pulls away, like she burnt him. "Sheldon… We have to talk about what just happened…"

He glares at her, regret written all over his face, "What is done is done. There is nothing to talk about."

She swallows back her tears and walks to the door shaking with rejection. Before she leaves, she eyes him gloomily and they share a look of understanding. "I'm gonna miss you…" she speaks softly and goes to her apartment stumbling on the shattered pieces of their friendship.

_XXX_

On the next day, at the train station, she observes her fiancé trying to convince him to stay. There's no surprise here. She says nothing, just watches the two friends talking - Sheldon's stubbornness prevailing over Leonard's pleas and the small glances Sheldon gives her.

"Leonard, just come here for a second…" she interrupts them. The short man comes closer to her. "Maybe we need to let him go."

"What?! Why?"

"It might be good for him."

Leonard ponders for a while then nods. She approaches Sheldon slowly, standing behind him and hugs him before kisses his cheek softly. His scent invades her senses and she fights the urge to cling onto him and never let him go. But he has to. Especially now, after the last night's events. "Be safe and call us."

"I will."

She holds Leonard's hand and they walk away without looking back.

A few hours later, Leonard is snoring lightly on her side and she rises from the bed, tiptoeing to Sheldon's bedroom. The place looks exactly the same, but she can still smell them all over the room. She sighs, lying on the fresh sheets and hugs his pillow tightly. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" she repeats over and over until she falls asleep.

Leonard wakes up in the middle of the night and taps the empty space beside him, frowning. He walks to the hall and pauses at the open door of Sheldon's bedroom. Penny is curled around a pillow, sleeping. Lots of questions pop up inside his head, but he just closes the door and goes back to his bed. Sheldon was right, he realizes, everything is changing.


End file.
